How-To
Mix Your Own Shellac
How to make a batch of shellac from fresh flakes.
Canned shellac is convenient, but if you want more control over your finish you’ll need to mix your own. In this video, Mike Pekovich shows you how easy it is to make a batch of shellac from flakes.
Produced and shot by Ben Strano, Edited by Jeff Roos
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Comments
Michael,
An excellent presentation. What is de-natured alchol, in the UK, we use methylated spirit?
When you had finished with your rag, you stuffed into the jar containing the remains of the alchol that you were using to thin down the shellac!
Denatured alcohol is ethyl alcohol (drinking alcohol) with an additive to render the product lethal to drink. Denatured alcohol is cheap because it is not taxed as a beverage. On the other hand, ever-clear, which is bought at the spirits store and is heavily taxed may be used, but at a higher price. Some finishers prefer ever-clear because of its slightly higher ethyl alcohol content.
Denatured alcohol and methylated spirits are the same thing. They are both ethanol, i.e., drinking alcohol, with a little methanol added. The only difference that I know is that in the U.K. a purple dye is added, which doesn't affect the color of the shellac.
Great video Mike! About how long can you keep both the heavy syrup consistency mix as well as the ready to apply mix in the sealed jars you are using?
Hi Mike thanks for the video I to would like to know the shelf life after mixing it up. If you could tell it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
Well done tutorial.
I use dewaxed flakes and alcohol. These are all good tips, especially the one about keeping the wiping rag in its own can. These glass pint sized ball jars are handy, but the lid will seal and that makes it almost impossible to remove. Soaking in alcohol and running under hot water doesn't usually help. I tried wrapping the threads with teflon tape. It worked once and then some of the tape came off and the rest was messy to remove. Does anybody have any advice?.
You turn the sealing lid upside down. You're not looking for the perfect seal that you do when making preserves. Another option would be getting rubber gasket to separate the glass from the sealing compound on the lid.
Lots of good information here. Thanks.
How did they achieve the high-gloss shellac finishes you see on 19th-century furniture and pianos? Was the shellac brushed on or french polished?
One thing I learned was be careful mixing old alcohol with shellac. Alcohol absorbs water from the air over time, and the shellac won't liquify.
FYI- You only put in 5 squirts of alcohol initially, not 6!
slowlearner:
i find that if i apply a little vaseline to the threads of the jar, it can sit on a shelf for quite a long time and open very easily.
Mike: Can we spray this mixture? as you blended it?
I have been fairly disappointed with Fine woodworking in the fact that the questions in comment sessions like this are rarely answered by the author. There are quite a few great questions in this post and in many others that do not go answered. I dont expect a reply from the author, bit here is my 2 cents.
I dont mix shellac flakes anymore. I find that the “fresh” shellac has a relatively short shelf life compared to the can (seal coat).
I like how Mike thins his mixture here, as I do the same thing with seal coat.
No need for color shellac’s as they can be tinted with dyes, such as transtint or others to get the perfect color you are looking for.
Overall I really liked this video, well done overview of shellac. Aside from using flakes, this is how I use shellac as well.
Mike, every time I watch or read your content, I learn something. Something so useful, I can put it into practice immediately. Something so 'obvious', I slap my forehead for not seeing it. Over time these methods take on my own flavor, which is good, I think. But as a jumpstarter of good ideas, you sir, are a gem.
I’m lazy sometimes. I am refinishing two outdoor benches made of European larch that I built six years ago. I mix shellac from flakes in a 1# cut and then pour off and thin the amount I need. I always date the shellac when I mix it. So, it’s now 2021 and the shellac I am using was mixed in 2016. I risked using it because the benches live outdoors and they get weathered quickly, so it’s no use trying for a museum finish. It’s unconventional woodworking wisdom obviously, but the old shellac seems fine as long as I keep it thin. I’ll topcoat with something like General Finish Outdoor Oil.
Many comments here and elsewhere that denatured alcohol is meths in uk. I’ve tried dissolving flakes in it without success.I think it’s because it is a mixture of ethyl and methyl alcohol. I like shellac but it stains when it gets wet from a glass or cup placed on it.
Well, you are unique, user-4880951. They are the same thing. Yes, methanol is added to ethanol, that gives it its name methylated spirits in the UK; “denatured alcohol” in the US. I’ve lived, studied and worked in both places in antique restoration and woodworking. There is no difference in the two products. And you are correct that shellac is not water resistant when in contact with moisture. Evaporative finishes do not stand up to water and neither does wax. If you want waterproof, it needs to be a reactive finish ~ precatalyzed lacquer, urethane or epoxy-based.
There are many good teachers on FWW, but Mike is the best, IMHO.
I hope he didn't take those jars from his wife's canning supplies. I'll go pick up a set of them for myself the next time I go to town.
I use shellac and love it. I stopped using the Zinsser premixed product, as the last 2 cans I purchased had turned brown in the can. One would not dry; the other I did not use.
Shellac does have a short shelf life compared to other finishes, and until several years ago, Zinsser printed a date on the can. Then they began using a batch number, in place of the date, but it could be deciphered. Now, there is a Lot number, which cannot be deciphered.
So, I stopped purchasing Bull Eye shellac and mix my own and hav ehad no problems. I have had problems with 2 other RustOleum products since RPM bought the company.
Shellac is my go to finish. Summer temperatures are an issue where I live. Solution, use thin shellac and keep it in the fridge, this minimises the risk of ridges from flash drying. Another trick in hot weather is to move further up the alcohol chain to propyl and butyl which evaporate slower.
I will watch the rest of this series.
I get a better coating with 1-lb. cut. One great thing about shellac is that you can keep applying more coats without any transition. The new layer partially dissolves the old layer and homogenizes into it.
The only alcohol I can find here in Utah is labeled fuel alcohol. Is that he same as denatured?
This goes through everything you need to know... https://www.finewoodworking.com/2022/03/21/where-to-buy-denatured-alcohol
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